UK Launch Of Disney+ Will Feature Lowered Streaming Quality In Order To Combat COVID-19 Congestion

UK Launch Of Disney+ Will Feature Lowered Streaming Quality In Order To Combat COVID-19 Congestion

YouTube and Netflix have already lowered streaming quality due to COVID-19, and it's now been confirmed that tomorrow's UK launch of Disney+ will be doing the same (possibly meaning no 4K The Mandalorian).

By JoshWilding - Mar 23, 2020 07:03 AM EST
Filed Under: Disney
Source: The Hollywood Reporter

The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that the UK and European launch of Disney+ will feature lowered streaming quality due to the demand internet providers are being faced with as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. With more people working at home thanks to COVID-19, networks are definitely suffering, and a streaming service like this one obviously won't help!

YouTube and Netflix have already lowered streaming quality at the behest of the European Union, and the launch of Disney+ has actually been postponed in France. 

It's still coming to the UK tomorrow, though, and Disney's chairman direct-to-consumer and international, Kevin Mayer, has stated that, "In line with Disney’s longstanding commitment to act responsibly, we are responding to the request of European Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, to work together to ensure the smooth functioning of the broadband infrastructure."

"In anticipation of high consumer demand for Disney+," he continued, "we are proactively instituting measures to lower our overall bandwidth utilization by at least 25 percent in all of the markets launching Disney+ on March 24th. In the coming days, we will be monitoring Internet congestion and working closely with internet service providers to further reduce bit rates as necessary to ensure they are not overwhelmed by consumer demand."

Disney+ is indeed likely to be met by a higher than expected demand because there are more people at home (including kids now that schools are closed), so this move makes perfect sense.

It is, of course, a little worrying to think that streaming services could suffer over the coming months because with theaters closed, we don't really have much else to do! Still, no 4K episodes of The Mandalorian might just have to be a sacrifice we're forced to make to stop networks from collapsing. 

Disney+ arrives tomorrow in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. 
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MarvelousMarty
MarvelousMarty - 3/23/2020, 8:02 AM
No big deal.
RegularPoochie
RegularPoochie - 3/23/2020, 8:08 AM
First world problems for some people smh.
marvel72
marvel72 - 3/23/2020, 8:11 AM
I can finally start watching The Mandalorion.


Kumkani
Kumkani - 3/23/2020, 8:36 AM
Eh. Makes sense to do that now I guess.
BigPhilbowski
BigPhilbowski - 3/23/2020, 8:42 AM
Unless you're using dial up it has no real effect. Not a noticeable one anyway. I never would have even noticed that Netflix reduced it if I hadn't read about it
IKidYouNotMan
IKidYouNotMan - 3/23/2020, 8:47 AM
Can’t get here soon enough, need something to entertain the two younger siblings.

bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 3/23/2020, 9:12 AM
Now if only they would release The Mandalorian all at once
CWBNGAJEEPGUY85
CWBNGAJEEPGUY85 - 3/23/2020, 9:32 AM
honest question here:

why wasn't it available before? it's a streaming platform, I figured you could purchase and view it from anywhere...because it's all digital. people all over the world use this site everyday...how is that any different?

well, congrats UK...sorry it's slower
Reeds2Much
Reeds2Much - 3/23/2020, 1:26 PM
@CWBNGAJEEPGUY85 - why wasn't it available before?

Last I heard the European Union says 30% of any streaming content there has to be produced or acquired in Europe.

CWBNGAJEEPGUY85
CWBNGAJEEPGUY85 - 3/23/2020, 1:27 PM
@Reeds2Much - so strange
dragon316
dragon316 - 3/23/2020, 12:23 PM
Not that it matters it’s not like streaming was in 4K hd any way before this virus was in effect
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